An Excuse to Hold Your Hand
by despommes
Summary: Their lives were just two messes that happened to be forced together at the right place at the right time. A collection of sweet little drabbles between Matt and Mello.
1. Bright Lights

Before we get started: Matt and Mello are my favorite pairing out of any series I've ever been a fan of

**Before we get started: **Matt and Mello are my favorite pairing out of any series I've ever been a fan of. I haven't seen very many sweet or romantic fics for them, so I decided I'd just make my own.

**Summary: **Their lives were just two messes that happened to be forced together at the right place at the right time. A collection of sweet little drabbles between Matt and Mello.

--

Sometimes, when he lay in Matt's bed and just couldn't get to sleep, his mind would wander. Most of the time he dwelt on the things that scared him. He was terrified of himself. Of all the things he had done, and all the things he knew he would have to do. All the wrongs he committed in the past. He was sure he could never be redeemed.

In the darkness, he would try to be as still as possible. The city lights played on his imagination. The shadows on the walls turned into monsters, looking for him, closing in on him, like all of his fears. He wasn't supposed to have fears. He was Mello. He was nearly invincible, tough as fucking nails, and afraid of the make-believe monsters under his bed. Yeah. It didn't make sense to him either

Cold fear would crush his bones and make his body shake when he breathed. The room was silent, save for the sound of the other's relaxed breathing on the other side of the bed. He was scared for him. Terrified that his monsters would rip him apart, slice his best friend to ribbons with their black claws, leaving him alone and at their mercy.

It would get to be too much to take. Boiling tears would fall, but only a few, because he was Mello, and Mello never cried. He would taste the tang of salt on his own tongue. Eyelashes became soaked and grew cold against pale skin. But then Matt would miraculously shift closer to him in his sleep, until he could feel silky red hair on his face and warm, sleeping breath on his lips.

He would smile. No. There were no monsters. No horror could ever touch him, not with Matt there to provide warmth and comfort. The city lights shone more brightly, banishing the shadows away until the retreated into corners of the room, huddled up behind bedside tables and on the other side of doors. No. Matt was his lighthouse on dark nights. His flashlight in power outages. His candle during storms. He could go on and on with the cheesy clichés, but his point was made, and he wanted to savor the way his lips on the corner of Matt's mouth just seemed to fit so wonderfully. Wanted to commit to memory how safe and soft he felt with Matt's long and lanky arms tangled around his slender shoulders.

Mello would fall asleep with a grin on his lips. Yeah, he had the brightest of all lights under his fingers, heart beating against his own. There was no darkness. Ever.

--

Uh, please review? C:


	2. Online Gaming

Today's Theme: Uhm, I'm a nerd, so the theme for this one is MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game)

**Today's Theme: **Uhm, I'm a nerd, so the theme for this one is MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Game). And I'm a little hungry, so the theme is also snack time.

**Summary: **Their lives were just two messes that happened to be forced together at the right place at the right time. A collection of sweet little drabbles between Matt and Mello.

--

Oh, hell yes.

Level 40 Red Mage.

/cheer.

Now people would want to play with him in this game. Two months of hard work, and it was finally paying off. Level 40 Red Mage meant that he could finally use his Refresh spell. And now people would finally want to party with him. Wouldn't be long before he would finally be level 75, his ultimate goal. 75 was the highest level you could get in any job. He gave it about another month, maybe two, since he had to keep his White Mage sub-job's level at least half of what his main, Red Mage, was.

God, the people who made this game must have wanted to discourage anyone from succeeding in anything.

Yawning, he picked up his keyboard. This party had sucked. They had no tank to hold hate from the mob, so they'd wasted most of their time waiting for raises for the people who had been killed. At least one person was face down after nearly every battle. But not Matt. He had skills. Well, skills enough to stay far enough away from the battle not to get hit. But whatever. He had been healing, and healers are supposed to be behind everyone else so that the monster doesn't notice them.

"Matt."

The party was disbanding. Good. Without a tank, they were as good as dead. At least he was level 40 now. Yeah, now everybody would be asking him to party. Refresh restored MP, but only Red Mages could use it. Needless to say, Red Mages were pretty popular among higher level parties.

"Matt, are you ignoring me?"

"Wha?"

A hand pulled his hair so that his head leaned back, forcing his eyes to meet a curious Mello clad in a black sweater and grey sweats. He smiled, a Twizzler dangling from his lips.

"Not at all, babe."

"Hm." Mello looked at the screen, his nose crinkling in annoyance. "I'm hungry," he told him. "Feed me."

Matt dug his hand in the bag of Twizzlers on the carpet beside him, pulling a strand of licorice out and thrusting it in front of Mello's face. "Here. Have some food." He waited for the other to pull the candy out of his fingers with his teeth before grabbing his keyboard. Mello chewed on his licorice thoughtfully, staring at the screen.

"So, what is this, World of Warcraft?"

For a moment, the room was silent. Then, Matt's brain broke. He whipped his head around to face Mello, who was lounging on the couch Matt's back was leaning against. His left eye twitched, and there was a frightening look on his face that made Mello scoot back a bit on the couch cushions.

"Mello," he said darkly. "Are you fucking serious?"

"What?" he asked timidly.

"World of Warcraft?" Mat scoffed. "World of Warcraft is for small children. Does that sound like something I would play?"

"You play Mario."

"Mario is for people of all ages to enjoy!" He threw Mello a scrutinizing glance before returning his gaze to the television screen. "This is Final Fantasy XI. _It's what the big kids play._ Besides, World of Warcraft didn't even come out on 360."

"Well, fuck, excuse me." Mello sourly bit into his Twizzler with a gnash of teeth. He watched Matt's character dash past some weird metal turtle-thing with a sword in its hand. Shit, that thing was ugly. It sure looked out of place in the pretty green fields and rolling hills Matt's character was cutting through. "Why are you a cat-girl with a red ponytail?"

Pause. Matt's eyes stayed glued to the screen. "Mithras have good stats."

"Uh huh." He sighed. This was boring. "What exactly the hell are you doing now?"

"I'm running back to Bastok, my home nation, to check on my chocobo."

"That guy just ran by on a bird. Why are you running instead of riding one of those?"

"That's a _chocobo_, Mello. I'm not riding one because mine is still a chick and I don't want to waste money renting one when I can just run."

"What do you do when you're not running?"

"Partying with other people. Getting EXP. Leveling. Rank missions. I'm a Red Mage. In battle, I either cast spells at shit to kill it, or I heal other people in my party. I'm pretty badass."

"What's that tiny thing?"

"That's a Tarutaru. They're one of the races you can pick for your character."

"You should have been one of those."

"I didn't want to! Mithras have good stats!"

"And huge boobs. Are you cheating on me with your little video game character?"

Matt sighed slowly, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. "No, Mello. I am not cheating on you with my game sim. Any other questions?"

"No. I'm done."

For the next twenty-five minutes or so, they sat in silence. Matt continued running through some ugly swamp-like place, every now and then pulling out his map to check for places that the path disappeared. At some point, Mello decided that he didn't want Twizzlers for dinner. Settling himself on his elbows behind Matt's head, he gently ran his lips across the side of his face. He heard Matt stop breathing, and on the television screen, his character stopped running. Mello softly ran his tongue along the shell of his ear, smirking to himself as he put his plan into action.

"If you go get us some take out, we can play our own little game later tonight."

With a furious pressing of buttons and chiming game sounds, Matt logged right where his character had been standing and ran to find his keys.

--

Ha, sorry about all the nerd speak. But I hope you all learned something about MMORPGs. It's serious business. And what's this? Two updates in one day? Boy, something must be wrong with me.


	3. Home Movies

Hokay

**Hokay. Before we get started. To:** thinlimitation

flamablechoklit

sammich

Misty Voughn

Beyond

Kiana Kisses

Thank you for the reviews. They make me very happy!

**Today's Theme: **Home movies. Oh shit.

**Summary: **Their lives were just two messes that happened to be forced together at the right place at the right time. A collection of sweet little drabbles between Matt and Mello.

--

Oh boy. Best day ever. While going through a few boxes of stuff he'd accumulated throughout his years, Matt had found something he'd thought was lost to the world for eternity. His very expensive, slightly banged up video camera he'd bought almost a year ago, but never actually ended up using. There really had been no need, but now he had a roommate. And nothing to do. Instant devious plan of epic proportions.

With a manic giggle, he switched it on, allowing himself time to pump his fist into the air and laugh evilly at the full battery. No, Mello wasn't going to like this at all.

--

Boots pounded down the very small hallway. The door on the left was their destination.

ULTIMATE DOOR KICK ABILITY INITIATED.

_Slam_!

"Matt, what the fuck?!"

There was a small splash of water, and the lens turned to a very, very shocked Mello amidst his bath suds, hair pulled into a loose ponytail to avoid contact with the water. Matt's excited voice bounced off of the tiled walls as he zoomed in to a close-up of Mello's mouth before backing off.

"Mello Mello Mello Mello! Look! Look at what I found!"

"Matt, turn that shit off, I'm in the bath!"

"I know," Matt laughed. He focused the picture to view the whole tub and what could be seen of Mello above the water. "I came to help you."

"Like hell you're going to help me! Put my naked ass on the Internet, more like. Turn that off! I thought I hid that from you weeks ago!"

"Yeah, well I found it. Seriously, Mel, if you want to hide my stuff from me, don't put it in my own closet."

"If you're going to mess with that, don't be a pervert and tape me while I'm _bathing_." Mello sank deeper into the sudsy depths. He glared at Matt weakly. "When rape me the camera will get it, and everyone will know."

"Ah, but you can't rape the willing, babe." He moved closer, resting his elbow on the edge of the tub and situating the camera so that the image was of Mello's face, blonde bangs falling into his eyes and slender eyebrows arched quizzically.

"You're invading my personal space."

"You don't have personal space when it comes to me."

"I do if I'm naked and half-submerged in water."

"Aaand, this is me not caring." The camera somehow began to drift lower along Mello's body, getting a nice view of his neck, collarbones, chest, abdomen—

"Matt, knock it off!" A soapy hand reached for the camera, but it was pulled away before wet fingers could get to it.

"It was an accident, I swear."

"Accident, my bare ass."

"Hmm." Matt casually slipped a hand into the water, testing the temperature. It was nice and warm, only just run a few minutes prior, and smelled like lilacs. Honestly, when did he buy such girly-scented bath oils? "This water's nice. I think I'll join you."

"What? MATT!"

The camera was discarded on countertop, facing a wall covered in bright blue wallpaper. There was the sound of water rushing over the edge of the tub and Mello spouting curses at the other body now occupying the bathtub with him. Matt simply laughed and murmured something incoherent, followed by more watery noises. Soft mumbling was all the camera could pick up along with quiet giggles and small splashes.

"For the love of god, Matt, you could have at least taken off your shoes."

--

Review plzkthx.


	4. Delilah

To: Ashastana

**To: **Ashastana

Kiana Kisses

I Brake For Bishounen Boys

Brunnhilde

thinlimitation

Once again, your reviews brightened my day and made me want to write more. Thank you ever so much!

**Today's Theme: **Record Player. Oh, and this one is set after the entire Kira disaster. They live. Don't dwell on how. If it bothers you that much, message me and ask. I'll make something up to keep you happy and satisfied.

**Summary: **Their lives were just two messes that happened to be forced together at the right place at the right time. A collection of sweet little drabbles between Matt and Mello.

--

He glanced at the task before him and gave a loud sigh, falling back on the bed with his arms outstretched. This was going to be a long day. They still had quite a bit of packing to do, and they had to be out of the apartment in _two days_. Last time Matt would fill out any important paperwork concerning their living conditions, yes it was.

Mello had taken it upon himself to clean out Matt's closet and place all of his belongings in boxes they'd swiped from behind restaurants and shops. Two of them were already set up neatly against the way, sealed with duct tape and labeled with his favorite red Sharpie. He was making progress. Didn't know if the same could be said for Matt, though. He had been told to tackle the hallway closet and whatever he found in the kitchen cabinets (although they were practically empty anyway).

As he lay back against a pillow that smelled strongly of coffee and Matt's cologne, Mello allowed himself a small break. In one hand, he held one of his favorite Swedish marshmallow treats, all dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with coconut. Like a tiny fluffy puff of chocolate frosted heaven. In the midst of his first bite, from the hallway came a series of thumping noises and a muffled, "Fuck yeah!" both of which he did not trust.

With an annoyed groan, Mello reluctantly jumped up from his comfortable seat on the bed and hurried to see what Matt had managed to discover, and whether or not it would ruin his day. His socks padded the carpet in the hallway and he quickly scarfed his marshmallow puff.

Matt, being a complete technology geek and buff, had many different contraptions ranging from the first Nintendo that ever came out all the way to one of those ancient machines that was used to tap out Morse code. So, Mello wasn't surprised when he found Matt pouring over an old record player that probably hadn't seen the light of day since the late 80's.

"What's that?" he asked, cautiously taking a step closer.

"Check this out, Mel," Matt said excitedly. A box of dusty vinyl records sat next to the end table he was operating on. "I think this used to be my dad's or something. I got all my parents' old stuff when I was eighteen and just kinda left this in the closet. Isn't it cool?"

"I guess." Mello perched himself on the arm of the couch, licking the chocolate residue off of his fingers. "Does it work?"

"I'm trying to figure that out." His eyes lit up. Matt leant down and searched through the box of records. "I thought I saw one in here…" His voice trailed off and a grin spread across his face as he pulled one out of the box triumphantly.

"What is that?" Mello asked, leaning in to see. Matt gently pushed him back.

"You'll see." He had to blow a small layer of dust off the vinyl to get it to work, but after switching the player on, music began to swim through the air.

_"I saw the light on the night that I passed by her window!"_

"Matt!" Mello said, laughing.

_"I saw the flickering shadows of love on her blind!"_

Matt took Mello's hand, forcing him to his feet. He took one of his hands in his, the other on his hip. Mello's arm snaked around his neck and he sniggered as they began their waltz around the partly empty living room.

_"My, my, my, Delilah!_

_Why, why, why, Delilah?!_

_I could see! That girl was no good for me!_

_But I was lost like a slave that no man could free!"_

Matt spun Mello out, kissing the back of his hand lightly. Mello rolled his eyes as he was pulled back into Matt's arms. His forehead was kissed softly as well, and his head somehow came to rest on Matt's shoulder.

_"At break of day when that man drove away, I was waiting!_

_I crossed the street to her house, and she opened the door!_

_She stood there, laughing!_

_I felt the knife in my hand, and she laughed no more!"_

Their feet moved lazily across the dingy carpet. Mello smiled and nestled his cheek against the juncture where Matt's neck and shoulder met. He felt breath in his hair, Matt's breath, and could once again detect that smell of Starbucks and Aqua di Gio.

"_My, my, my, Delilah!_

_Why, why, why, Delilah?!_

_So before they come to break down the door!_

_Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn't take anymore!"_

Matt's chin rested on his head as they swayed in time with song. A grin played on his lips as he kissed Mello's hair, still damp from an earlier shower. There was still so much packing to do. But it could wait. Right now, all that he could think about was how Mello's narrow body molded into his, and the way their footsteps matched the rhythm or the music.

_"Forgive me, Delilah, I just couldn't take anymore!"_

On that last long note, Matt dipped his partner, ignoring the surprised yelp that left him, and tenderly placed his lips over Mello's. He could feel the grin under his mouth, and his heart leapt when hands came up to hold his face. When they pulled away, a smiling Mello looked at him dreamily, fingers entangled in vibrant red hair.

"Got anymore records in that box?"

--

I wrote this for my grandfather (but he's never gonna read it). _Delilah_ by Tom Jones is his favorite song, and he sings to me all the time. It means a lot to me. So, here's your songfic. You might get another one, as I've already picked out a really sappy, pretty song.

By the way, I do not own Tom Jones's _Delilah._


	5. Hello Kitty Princess

First of all

**First of all. To: **I Brake for Bishounen Boys

Kiana Kisses

XxXmelloXmatLUVRXxX

brunnehild

thinlimitation

Eloquent Catastrophe

Ashastana

The reviews are lovely. My heart swells with gratitude for you all!

**Today's Theme: **Kittens.

**Summary: **Their lives were just two messes that happened to be forced together at the right place at the right time. A collection of sweet little drabbles between Matt and Mello.

--

It had just been a trip to the corner store. He'd needed more shampoo and some of that dried fruit that Matt liked. And by some untold miracle, they had been selling plastic bags full of Andes Candies for just three dollars apiece. Needless to say, that had been fifteen dollars more out of his wallet. He hadn't been gone twenty minutes. Matt should not have had time to leave their new condo and do something suspicious, much less come back in time to surprise him.

But still, there he was, stretched out on his stomach and rolling around on the new rug. Nuzzled up to cheek was something with big blue eyes, tickly little whiskers, and sweet, furry paws that kneaded Matt's striped shirt.

"Oh, you're home!"

"Where did you get that kitten?"

Matt glanced at the tiny ball of cute in his hands. "At the pet store. Duh. I saw her in the window the other day when we were at the bank." The kitten yawned, opening its soft little mouth and revealing a pink tongue. She nuzzled her face into Matt's stomach and began to purr. "Don't you just love her?"

"Why didn't you ask me?" Mello sounded slightly hurt.

"Because you would have said no." Plain and simple. Secretly, Mello knew that was exactly what would have happened. But, now that he saw the little creature made of fluffy grey and white fur, he was sort of happy Matt hadn't asked. "Besides, I bought her for you. Kind of a surprise."

Mello sat on the rug next to him, reaching out to pet his new kitten. "For me?" She was simply adorable. The most part of her body was grey with stripes of darker color mixed within, but everything from the underside of her belly and down was white, as well as her face. Her little triangle ears stood straight up when Mello scratched behind them and her eyes were contentedly closed.

"Yeah." Matt smiled at him. "You said that you got sort of lonely when I went to work on the weekends. But now you can take care of your kitten." He smiled and gently pressed his lips to Mello's forehead, placing the kitten in his hands. She mewed softly and nuzzled her nose against his palm.

"What should we name her?" he asked Matt, settling himself between the other's long legs, his back leaning against his stomach.

"Well," Matt said, "When I got her, I had to fill out the paperwork."

"And?"

"And, I kinda had to name her then."

Mello's eyebrow arched. "So what's her name?"

"Hello Kitty Princess."

Dead silence. Mello gave him a confused look before staring at the kitten, who seemed oblivious to them, as she was busy purring and licking his fingers.

"Hello Kitty Princess?"

"It was either that or Kitten Big Pimpin'."

"Hello Kitty Princess is a gay name, Matt."

Matt smiled mischievously. In one fluid movement, he had come incredibly closer to Mello's face. Hot breath fell on Mello's lips and the air in his throat turned to glass. Matt's mouth moved soundless over his own, whispering to him softly. "Then she should fit right in with us, huh, Mel?"

--

Who the hell doesn't like kittens? I sure do. I had all kinds of ideas to name Hello Kitty Princess. I think my other favorite was Seaking Fuck Yeah (if you get that, high five!). Eventually I just named her after my friend Colleen's cat, Hellokittyprincess. So, uh, yeah. REVIEWS! MOAR! BECAUSE MOAR!


	6. Short of Breath

All right

**All right. To:** Eloquent Catastrophe

sammich

Ashastana

Nicole

I Brake For Bishounen Boys

Splotchi-chan

Kiana Kisses

thinlimitation

schoolgirl-cheesesculpture

I fucking love you guys. And the mountain of reviews I've received is totally not helping you in your predicament.

**Today's Theme: **Someone is ill. Oh noez!

--

Matt groaned. This was bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit! Upon the two of them returning home, he had been _ordered_ to put on pajamas and lie in bed. Instead of his favorite flannel pajamas that bore the Zelda logo, he had opted for just a pair of plaid cotton pants. He was already sweating from fever, and flannel would not have been a good idea.

Because he was a stubborn ass, he attempted to sit up against his fortress of pillows in order to reach his DS. Pain exploded in his chest, followed a hacking fit that left him sprawled out on the sheets. His arms had grown weak and his hands wouldn't stop shaking. And to add to his good luck, he could hear footsteps padding their way through the hallway to see what the commotion was about.

"Matt, I told you to lie down," Mello said sternly. He sighed exasperatedly and glanced at the abandoned DS on the bedside table. Matt gave him a look similar to that of a kicked puppy. In no time at all, the little black box was happily settled between his fingers once again, and its owner gave a gleeful squeal that was slightly distorted due to his bronchial condition.

"Can you help me with something else, nurse?" he murmured in what could be considered a sexy voice (or, as sexy as one with constricted bronchioles and mucus in his lungs could conjure). Matt wiggled his eyebrows smoothly. Mello blinked.

"Matt, you're a pervert," he grumbled. A soft little mew at his feet sent his eyes downward, and a small smile graced his lips. Bending down, he retrieved the tiny, furry body that demanded attention. "Here," he said, placing the tiny kitten in Matt's lap. "Some company that can't comprehend your stupid pick-up attempts. I'll be making you something to eat."

"How do you know she can't comprehend them?" Matt called after him. He was ignored by the other as the small cat began to softly rub against his chest for attention. She quietly meowed until he complied and lifted her to his chest. "Oh, Hello Kitty Princess," he lamented. "Sometimes I feel like you're the only one who understands me."

The past week, Matt had not been feeling so badass. Quite the contrary, actually. His chest began to hurt horribly and it was hard for him to take deep breaths. Mello began to worry, but he assured him it was just the smoking and he would cut down on his cigarettes. But the chest pains just got worse, and he began to have coughing fits that made his whole body hurt and he usually would hack up something god-awful that shouldn't come from anyone's lungs, man or woman. In the end, he'd been tricked into going to a doctor's office. That morning, to be exact. The diagnosis had been clear ("How the fuck did you get bronchitis in the middle of July, Matt?! God, you're the eighth wonder of the world, I swear!"), antibiotics had been prescribed, and medicine had been ingested. Now he was being forced to stay in bed to allow his lungs time to get their shit together.

On his DS, he fumbled around with Phantom Hourglass, attempting to beat it for the seventh time since he'd acquired it. Hello Kitty Princess lazed about, comfortably seated on his chest and purring her little heart's content. She licked her whiskers every now and then, attempting to collect leftover droplets of cream, the result of Mello spoiling her mercilessly. If Matt wasn't careful, she would weigh a million pounds by the next month.

The sound of the doorknob turning made his eyes lift from the screen to the door. Mello appeared on the other side, a bowl of tomato soup in one hand and a glass of what looked to be orange Gatorade in the other. He grinned at his favorite beverage (aside from Red Bull, of course) and gladly accepted the glass from Mello. Spidery hands helped him to sit up without angering his inflamed lungs even more. They came up to feel his forehead and face, and Matt relished the cool skin against his, eyelids sliding to a content close.

"You're still pretty hot. Might need some more Motrin after you eat."

"Not hungry," he mumbled.

"I don't care. Eat your soup." Mello lifted Hello Kitty Princess from Matt's shoulder and relocated her on his stomach. She did nothing but give a small yawn and lay down, prepared for a nice, long nap. Mello sighed as Matt turned his nose up at the bowl in his hands. "If you eat it, I'll lay down with your sick ass."

"Fine then." Matt lifted the spoon to his mouth. His small meal was consumed in silence. Once the bowl was empty, it was placed on the end table and forgotten. Despite the warning look Mello's azure eyes gave him for moving, he pulled the other to his warm body, arms finding purchase around sharp shoulders, lips and nose finding their way to golden hair.

"I need to get your medicine, Matt," Mello murmured softly, snuggling into his other's warm body. Matt shook his head, coughing a little.

"Stay here with me, babe." His eyes were shut, breathing already relaxed. "Lie down with me. Please."

A soft smile was playing at Mello's mouth. Gently pressing his lips to Matt's hot face, he placed a disgruntled Princess on the pillow between them and allowed Matt to tangle their legs together.

It seemed that Matt might have been feeling a bit better after all.

--

Hm, this chapter is nice. I like it. You know what else I like? Reviews. Yep, those reviews are lovely.


	7. Starbucks Novels

To: Kiana Kisses

**To: **Kiana Kisses

Ashastana

Nicole

I Brake for Bishounen Boys

thinlimitation

sammich

Splotchi-chan

MellosChocolate-MattsGames

haly-mane

Talia-minou

Eloquent Catastrophe

I am currently throwing obscene amounts of love in your directions. You can't see it, because, well, we're on the internet.

**Today's Theme: **Afternoon Naps

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, HAVE YOU SEEN THE DARK KNIGHT? I saw it like two weeks ago and I still can't stop talking about it. The Joker + nurse's outfit my Halloween costume for this year. You best believe it! Sorry this update is so late; 4chan has been eating literally all of my time.

--

Moments like these didn't happen often for the two of them. Peaceful, quiet moments that made Matt's heart swell and sigh. The late afternoon sun shone lazily through the expensive curtains Mello had so tediously crooned over in the linen store. Matt smiled to himself and kissed his cornflower hair.

It had all started out plainly enough. Matt had settled himself on the couch, sprawled out with his long legs stretched along the length of the sofa and DS grasped firmly in his hands. Pokémon Diamond contained matters that required attending to. He was still riding out the closing of his bronchitis, his earlier hacking fits reduced to small coughs every now and then. Hello Kitty Princess had been following Mello around for the entire morning, mewing for attention and purring loudly when her demands were met.

Mello had decided to expand his small library he kept on the bookshelf in their sitting room. Earlier that week, when picking up breakfast at the local Starbucks, he'd browsed through the books they kept on display and found one he considered reading. When he saw Matt lounging on the couch, he swept up the book and situated himself between his gamer's legs, head on the other's chest and elbows resting on his knees.

That had been nearly two hours ago, and now Mello was curled up and entangled in Matt, eyes closed and breathing calm and soft. David Sheff's Beautiful Boylay forgotten on the hardwood floor, a bookmark planted firmly in place to reserve where Mello would pick up later. Matt had his arms laced around his bony frame, nose buried in yellow hair and lips wearing a satisfied smile.

When Mello was asleep, all the worry lines and edge to his features melted away, leaving a soft, innocent face. The burn scar covering the left side of his face did nothing to hinder the angelic quality that made the very air around him shimmer. Matt couldn't count the times he'd wake up in the morning and just gaze at Mello while he slept, completely enraptured by the curves of his perfect face. When Mello woke up, his eyelids would flutter gently, cerulean orbs glancing about the room blearily before settling on Matt. He would say the same thing every morning. "What are you looking at?" And Matt could only ever answer with the same thing.

"You, babe."

He wondered if they would repeat the process when Mello woke up later. When this moment was over and they would have to resume their lives. But for the time being, Matt wanted to savor it. The small sound of Hello Kitty Princess purring in her cushioned bed in the corner. The feeling of his lover's ribcage expanding and shrinking against his own. The smell of salon brand shampoo from Mello's golden locks.

For now, Matt smiled. His arm found Mello's and he brought a spidery hand to his lips, gently kissing a golden band on the ring finger. He heard Mello sigh in his sleep, and his heart skipped a beat. He held the other body tighter to his own, relishing the sensation of warmth that blossomed in his chest. He didn't care if the world began to end right underneath their feet. As long as Mello was there, he would follow him to the depths of the Earth, straight to Hell and back. There was nothing he wouldn't do.

Time could just tick by. He didn't mind. As long as it was spent with Mello.

--

This chapter is short, but it's just too fucking cute. Don't tell me you didn't go "D'aawww!" at least once. Because I know you did. And Beautiful Boy by David Sheff is a book that every single one of you needs to read. Seriously, it's awesome. I request reviews!


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